


Something Like Hope

by DecemberKat



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Gen, Recovery, Sickfic, self-neglect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:09:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23655883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DecemberKat/pseuds/DecemberKat
Summary: As it turns out, living in a sterile environment for four years isn't too good for your immune system.(AKA yet another Luther sickfic)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 50





	Something Like Hope

To say that it had been a long week was an understatement. His father’s death and funeral, the resultant revelations, and the near-end of the world would do that. Luther stumbled around the kitchen in a haze, head pounding. He’d woken up that morning with a headache, his throat feeling cracked and raw. He’d rarely gotten sick as a child, though perhaps he simply didn’t remember being sick as a child. 

The hustle and bustle of that morning’s breakfast did nothing to help the pounding of his head or the aching of his body. Still, though he might not have been their leader anymore— if he ever was— but he still considered himself the oldest by sheer virtue of his number, and he’d always been reluctant to show any signs of weakness. 

“Bro, are you okay?” Luther realized he’d been staring at the coffee pot for a solid minute or two when Diego spoke, looking up at him concernedly in that detective-like way of his. Luther started, only for the sudden movement to make the room spin and wobble like a top. When Luther finally spoke even he could hear the uncharacteristic rasp in his voice. 

“I’m fine, Diego!” he insisted. In fact, the very moment the words left his mouth he felt himself swaying to one side. Distantly he heard the alarmed shouts and chatter of his siblings as he felt himself slipping limply to the cold tile floor, darkness overtaking him yet again. 

“C’mon, what’d you expect, the guy’s been in a sterile environment for the four years, it’s a miracle it’s taken him this long to catch something!” As Luther slipped back into consciousness he heard Klaus’s voice coming from the other side of the room. He wasn’t in the kitchen anymore. Somehow, his siblings had managed to get him up off the kitchen floor and onto a cot of some sort, then wheeled him easily into the infirmary. He felt his pulse quicken as he thought back to the last time he’d ended up here. 

“He’s awake!” Allison’s voice managed to steady him as his entire remaining family crowded around his sickbed. “Hey, Lu. You gave us quite a scare.”

“What…?”

“You fainted, dude,” said Diego, tactful as always. More seriously, he added, “You got a fever of 101. That ain’t normal, man.” Luther resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead tried to sit up. He almost immediately regretted the action as his vision went blurry, with fuzzy black spots appearing at the edges of his vision.

“I run warm,” Luther insisted nonetheless. “I’m fine!”

“I took the liberty of grabbing your medical records from Dad’s office,” Five added from his other side. “You’re only supposed to be at around 98 degrees Fahrenheit, just on the warmer side of average for adult humans. 101 is still concerning.” Luther’s heart sank as he processed his brother’s words hazily. If they’d gotten ahold of Dad’s records, he knew, they’d likely discover both the extent of his mutations and what all else his father had done to him over the years. As it was he had no other choice than to finally submit to his siblings’ concerns as he reluctantly lay back on the cot and swallowed the painkillers Allison handed him along with downing Klaus’s proffered glass of water.

“Can I at least go back to my own room?” he grumbled finally as his head settled back down. The world at large was still a bit hazy and tended to wobble worryingly, but now, at least, he felt as though he could walk upstairs and to his room without passing out again. His siblings exchanged a look, then nodded almost in unison. Luther felt himself tense up as Diego helped him off the cot and up over to the stairs, but he swallowed his pride and allowed his brother to herd him upstairs and into bed.

“Somebody’ll check in on you in maybe an hour or so,” Diego said gruffly. Luther simply grunted and laid down under his favorite comforter, the one Mom gave him one lonely Christmas years ago, the first one after his accident and the last one his father had bothered allowing them to celebrate. It was embroidered with little silver and gold stars, along with his name picked out in delicate cursive across the top-left corner. “You gotta s-start tak-k-king better care of yours-s-s-self, dude,” Diego added quietly. “I don’t… what I’m trying to say is--” Diego cut himself off with a sigh and wiped his hands down across his face.

“It’s alright,” Luther found himself saying. “I think we’re all trying to get a little better at this whole… ‘sibling’ thing.” The two chuckled, Luther ending it suddenly with a sharp, painful-sounding cough. Diego winced and stood up.

“Okay, seriously though, you oughtta get some sleep before this thing kills ya,” He leaned over and patted Luther roughly on the shoulder. “G’night.” At that Luther just rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

“Night, Diego!”

“Don’t you dare die on us, yeah? We’re running outta trees in the backyard to bury people under.”

“Oh, if that’s what you’re concerned about.” Diego chuckled but waited until he could hear his brother’s soft, phlegmy snores to head back downstairs to get ready for work.

After last week’s near-apocalypse, he’d noticed something small sparking in the middle of his chest. It was something that made him feel like they’d all be okay in the aftermath.

Something like hope.


End file.
